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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Question of the week: What would it take for you to be ok with a delay?

Games get delayed all the time and for all sorts of reasons. Some get delayed because the game isn't ready, others get delayed because the publisher wants to release it at a more advantageous time. And as users from Europe know, sometimes it gets delayed without much of an explanation at all.

My question for you guys is this: what would it take for you to accept a delay? Let's say they added even MORE items in or more unique objects for items. Or maybe they add the ability to download new items. Or perhaps they revamp some area of the game, such as the controls, or combat.

only if there were constant issues and bugs with main gameplay and online, or if they were trying to be ambitious, say... trying to add another 5,000 words (not doubles, not repeat objects, new objects with their own animations, characteristics, and drawings), also, if they just updated some content (like the politician thing, they need some differences, maybe the differnce between a democrat and repub can be the color of tie), or some fixes like we've seen the vegetarian go crazy for meat, and last, some last second meme updates, steak baby should have its own place!

A multiplayer mode would be enough for me to wait a few weeks longer. Just letting a bunch of Scribblenauts into the sandbox together would be the best thing EVER, and everyone loves co-op: puzzling out the puzzles with a pal would be fantastic.

If there was a delay, adding a feature to take videos and screenshots in-game would justify adding another week to it. The videos from previewers have been so hilarious, after all - Scribblenauts machinima would possibly be the most awesome thing ever. Except for the other things that are the most awesome thing ever, such as Scribblenauts.

Again, assuming that a delay existed, adding DLC support would be worth about a fortnight, possibly a lot more. If nothing else, it would more easily allow for the hacking of custom items (as with Animal Crossing: CF) Topping up the database with those words the devs somehow missed is definitely not a bad thing. Perhaps an optional feature could be included, which records all the failed words you enter and notifies 5th Cell over wifi, allowing for those words to be added via DLC?

Finally, fixing all those niggling issues (messy control, database quirks, egregious doubles) would be worth an eternity. Or possibly a week or two.

All up, one eternity, one month, and a fortnight for making Scribblenauts utterly perfect. It's a long time to wait, unfortunately. I'm almost wishing 5th Cell release Scribblenauts as is, then one eternity, one month, and one fortnight later release Scribblenauts: Perfect Edition. :P

Assuming the delay wasn't for production reasons (as in, realizing that they're going to sell out way too quickly of their current quantity and pushing the release date to have more happy customers), I'd want them to stuff it full with as many interactions as possible. If you stick a sandbox near an ostrich, will it stick its head in it? If Maxwell plays a flute, will rats follow you? If not, would giving them more time allow them to stick it in?

That being said, I still haven't touched the game yet, so I can't reliably say what features would make me okay with pushing a release date back. In the end, the entire gaming community would do well to learn a bit of patience sometimes. A game delay is not the end of the world.

@ChrisOstriches don't actually stick their heads in sand. Urban myth. Than again, Scribblenauts features most objects stereotypically, so chances are a Scribblenauts ostrich would try to bury its head...

@KirbizardIf the rooster hat is not in Scribblenauts already, 5th Cell have failed. Only slightly, but a failure nonetheless.

i would be happy with a d-pad control option, more complex interaction(might not be possible considering DS limitations), less doubles(they can have similar assets but perhaps some coloring changes), news of a console version of scribblenauts that has an approximate release date, way to record screen(not that im even techy capable of that stuff, a bit of a graphics update(keep the style, clean it up, fix all found mistakes(vegetarian eating meat? c'mon thats just sloppy) some new memes(not that i know many) more levels(there are a lot but i don't think they take up much room), something similar to what SSBB has with a new map everyday except with a scribblenauts challenge/map, and, if the gods smile upon me, and online mode(or whatever they call playing with a DS thats close by... linking?) where u have goals ie. defeat opponents creation, help eachother solve puzzle, sandbox, etc. THEN i will be able to put up with a month or two of delay, as much as i hate to say it